1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus including a power source and for supplying an electric power for the instrument connected to the power supply apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording apparatus which records according to the image information the images including letters and symbols in the recorded material (viz. recording medium) of paper or plastic thin sheet is widely commercialized as the output apparatus of computer and word processor.
Such recording apparatus if used in such office automation apparatus as copier and facsimile adding a means of communication and a means to read image. The combined apparatus which combines the functions of copier, printer and facsimile has been recently commercialized.
Such apparatus uses usually the power source to drive and control. In addition to the recording apparatus, the communication apparatus and the personal information terminal are connected to the power apparatus whereby enable to supply the power source and to control each.
Recently the computing apparatus to control the apparatus, the circuit and the driving apparatus are of increased integration and downsizing to expedite further more downsizing and multifunctioning the apparatus. The apparatus downsizing brings the portability for a person to enable carrying. The apparatus with cordless can, if necessary, be freely used without connecting to the home power source. The portable use without connecting to the home power source is usually structured to store inside such the power supply apparatus as a battery pack or to easily connect to such a small and light carryable battery pack.
Now that the communication and the office automation apparatus are widely made portable and cordless, a variety of items are required for the specification of the battery pack of the power supply for the apparatus.
In the battery pack used in the printer as the above-mentioned recording apparatus, there is the following embodiment which is required to satisfy the following specification described hereunder with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 shows the apparatus which includes the battery pack as the power supply source to the printer connecting to the power supply source.
A reference numeral 101 is the battery case as the power supply means provided for the printer 102 and to supply the power source to the printer 102, and internally includes the battery pack as the power source.
Battery case 101 has the structure to easily be fixed to the exterior of the printer 102. The battery case 101 has the power source switch 104 responsive to the movement of the upper cover 103 on the printer 102.
The function of the power source switch 104 is described hereunder. As shown in FIG. 1A, non-use of the printer 102 closes the upper cover 103 and opens the power source switch 104. Then, the power source switch 104 is turned off and the power output of the battery case 101 is not supplied the power source to the printer 102.
In use of the printer 102, as shown in FIG. 1B, the upper cover 103 is opened and the power source switch 104 is pushed downward by the upper cover 103. The power source switch 104 turns on the power source output of the battery case 101 to supply the power source to the printer 102.
FIG. 2 is the external perspective view of in detail the battery case 101. FIG. 2A is a view from the side connected to the printer 102 and FIG. 2B shows a drawing seen from the rear of the apparatus.
In FIG. 2A, a numeral 104 is the battery switch as mentioned above. In use of the printer, the upper cover 103 in the printer 102 is opened and the battery switch 104 is pushed downward to be turned on. And the power source of the battery case 101 supplies the power source to the printer 102. The battery mounting portion 118 is to fix the battery as the power source and functions to make the battery pack (not shown) removable. The power source of the battery pack fixed to the battery case 101 uses the power source with a charge system whereby the source can be repeatedly used by charging it. Numeral 112 is the power source plug to supply the power source by connecting at the time fixed to the printer 102 to the unshown connecting portion fixed to the printer 102. The battery case 101 is formed to be fixed to the printer 102 by the retainer screw 117. #
The battery case 101 is provided with the manifest portions 113 and 114 to show the present status. Numeral 114 is the charging lamp and is the LED flashing at the time the battery pack is charging. Numeral 113 is the discharging lamp and flashes at the time the user instructs to discharge by the discharging switch 115 so that the user may recognize the discharging status. Numeral 116 is the interface cover and functions by opening the interface cover 116 to easily remove the interface cable which connects to the printer 102 and transfers the printing data.
FIG. 2B is the external perspective view of the battery case 101 seen from the different direction and shows the interface cover 116 under open status. Numeral 111 is the adaptor connection portion that connects the plug from the unshown AC adaptor in order to supply the power source from the home power source to the printer 102.
The battery pack 101 is formed to enable the charge of the battery pack by the power source from an AC adaptor connected to the adaptor connection portion. It may be that at the time the AC adaptor is connected, the battery pack does not supply the power source to the printer 102 but the AC adaptor supply is preferably the power source.
The recording system for the printer 102 includes an jet recording system to form the image on the recorded material by injecting the ink and the thermal system to form the image by transferring the ink of the ink sheet on the recorded material with the thermal control in accordance with the recording signal.
The printer 102 has, when adopting the ink jet recording system, such special functions, which cannot be found in other recording systems, as the function to clean the face of the ink injected, the function to restore the injected status by discharging the ink unusable with the ink clogged in the jet face and the raised viscosity, and the function to perform the cap action for preventing vaporation of the ink by covering the face the ink injected and fixing the cap member to the ink jet face.
Further, the printer is usually provided with a micro-processing unit (hereinafter is called as MPU) to control the inside of the printer.
As mentioned above, the battery pack 101 has the function to automatically change "on" and/or "off" of the power source switch 104 responsive to opening and closing status of the upper cover 103 of the printer 102. The aim of the above function is to prevent unnecessary consumption of battery power at the time the printer is not in use.
The features of the above function lies in the very simple structure, viz. the judgment whether in use or non-use of the printer 102 is made by a mechanical structure without any control signal line to control the supply of power source between the printer 102 and the battery pack 101.
Almost all of the electric and the electronic apparatus performing with the power source do not stop immediately after the power source is turned off. Prior to being turned off the action to protect the apparatus is usually performed in either way.
For example, the printer stated in the above prior art performs the protection action to maintain the printing grade at the time the power source is turned off. An example of the above protection action is the action to revolve the home position for returning to the standard position.
Further, the printer adopting the ink jet recording system includes the cleaning action to clean the face of the printing head, the restoring action to restore injected status of the printing head and to maintain the injected status stable, and the capping action to prevent the ink from vaporizing and the ink neighbouring the jet from exiting by adhesion.
It is preferable after performing the above actions to actually stop the supply of the power source to the apparatus despite the micro-processing unit, the controlling means inside the printer, detecting the instruction to turn off the power source. It is preferable after some ten seconds or some minutes from the time instructing the power source off to actually stop the supply of the power source.
The prior art described with reference to the FIG. 1 has the following problems.
The structure provided with the battery pack in the prior art performs the simple mechanical operation responsive to opening and closing of the upper cover for changing on and/or off of the power source switch 104.
Thus, the waiting time necessary for transferring from the power source on to off scarcely exists.
Namely, immediately after the close of the upper cover 103 in the printer 102, the supply of the power source stops and thus there exists no time for the protection action.
It is assumed that the printer 102 remains inoperable without receiving any protective action which results in the bad effect for the printing head function and in the deterioration for the printing quality.
The ink jet printer using especially the printing head in the ink jet recording system requires the protection action to maintain good printing grade and prefers to perform the action without stopping the supply of the power source under no protection action or without stopping the supply of the power source during the protective action.
To prevent the malfunctions, such a method as MPU inside the printer 102 controlling the status of the power source switch 104 provided with the battery case 101 has been considered.
However, this method has the defect to complicating the structures of the battery pack and battery case 101, viz. it requires a controlling signal line for controlling the power source switch 104 between the battery case 101 and the printer 102, in addition to the power source supply line.